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How Are Inmate Records in West Virginia Created and Stored?

In West Virginia, inmate records are created every day by law enforcement agents. Most often, this is the local police who arrest suspects guilty of committing crimes. They fill out a RAP sheet containing the offender’s name, address, phone number, physical description, and crime details. Then the offender is placed in jail to await trial. Everything that occurs in the inmate’s life is recorded, and the file is updated all the time. The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation is the government agency in charge of creating, storing, and updating inmate records. They keep them online in a consolidated database so that the public may freely search for an inmate at any time.

Searching for West Virginia Offender Information Online

The state of West Virginia makes it super easy to find an inmate in either jail or prison. The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation has an inmate locator features on their website to facilitate quick retrieval of inmate records any time of day or night. Follow the instructions below to look up someone in a West Virginia jail or prison:

  1. Visit the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation website .
  2. Scroll down on the home page to a box called “Offender Searches.”
  3. Choose to locate an offender in jail or prison and click the appropriate link.
  4. The prison link will require you to enter either the offender ID or first and last names. You must also use a Captcha device.
  5. The results will show a table with offender ID, name, location, and a mugshot.
  6. The link for a jail lookup only requires the inmate’s name and a Captcha.
  7. The results will show the same information of offender ID, name, location, and a mugshot.
  8. You may click on each row to see additional information on an inmate.

When searching for inmate records, arrests, warrants, court cases, criminal histories, or other public records, another great resource to consult is the Infotracer search tool. They have over 2 million records available.

What Does West Virginia’s Prison System Look Like?

The West Virginia prison system is nicely consolidated between local law enforcement and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Their shared records system makes it really easy to find someone incarcerated in the state. They have only a few types of facilities where state prisons and jails are combined. They also have juvenile facilities and federal prisons. The prison system in West Virginia consists of:

  • 19State Jails
  • 10Juvenile Detention Centers
  • 6Federal Prisons
  • Prison Facilities with Linked Jails

Did you Know?

  • 0.39% of people in West Virginia are under correctional control, from which 6,523 are on probation, and 3,550 are on parole.
  • Every year, about 1,613 people walk out of prison gates in West Virginia, but people go to jail 1.1 times more each year
  • 88% of prison inmates in West Virginia are male, 12% female.
  • From 1979–80 to 2012–13, state and local government expenditures on corrections in West Virginia increased by 483 percent (from $57,136,775 to $333,203,000).
  • West Virginia has 15 facilities under state or federal authority that provided educational programs to inmates, from which only 6 provided College courses.

Types of Jails and Prisons in West Virginia

The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation oversees and manages all state prisons and jails within the state. They use combined facilities for pretrial detainees and long-term sentenced inmates. The state also has ten juvenile detention centers run by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Six federal prisons fall within the state boundaries, and they are managed and operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FOB).

How Many People are Locked up in West Virginia?

West Virginia’s prison system holds 7,162 residents in various kinds of correctional facilities, from which 5,899 residents are held in state prisons, and 1,263 in local jails.

Correctional Facilities: Totals:
State Prisons5,899
Local Jails1,263

West Virginia State Prisons

West Virginia is unique in that they combine their state prisons with jail facilities. This keeps everything in one place and makes managing inmates and records much easier. The entire state prison and jail system is managed and overseen by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The list of state prisons/jails in West Virginia include:

  • Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Denmar Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Eastern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Huttonsville Correctional Center and Jail/Huttonsville Work Camp.
  • Lakin Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Martinsburg Correctional Center and Jail.
  • McDowell County Corrections/Stevens Correctional Center.
  • Mount Olive Correctional Complex and Jail/Slayton Work Camp.
  • North Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Northern Correctional Facility.
  • Northern Regional Jail.
  • Ohio County Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Potomac Highlands Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Pruntytown Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Saint Marys Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Salem Correctional Center and Jail.
  • South Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Southern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Southwestern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Tygart Valley Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Western Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.

How to Perform a State Prison Inmate Locator

The process for finding someone in state prison in West Virginia is very simple. The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation stores and maintains all inmate records. They have a consolidated database where everything is kept online for easy searches. Follow the instructions below to look up a state prison inmate in West Virginia.

  1. Visit the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation website .
  2. Scroll down on the home page to a box called “Offender Searches.”
  3. Choose to locate an offender in jail or prison and click the appropriate link.
  4. The prison link will require you to enter either the offender ID or first and last names. You must also use a Captcha device.
  5. The results will show a table with offender ID, name, location, and a mugshot.
  6. The link for a jail lookup only requires the inmate’s name and a Captcha.
  7. The results will show the same information of offender ID, name, location, and a mugshot.
  8. You may click on each row to see additional information on the inmates.

West Virginia Federal Prisons

The federal government keeps six federal prisons in the state of West Virginia. These facilities hold federal prisoners who have broken federal laws on West Virginia soil. All federal prisons are managed and run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. They have a useful website with information on their organization and all their facilities. The West Virginia federal prisons include:

  • Alderson FPC.
  • Beckley FCI.
  • Gilmer FCI.
  • Hazelton FCC.
  • McDowell FCI.
  • Morgantown FCI.

How to Search for Federal Prison Inmates in West Virginia

The process for searching and finding an inmate in a West Virginia federal prison is different than finding someone in state prison. This is because all federal inmates are the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Prisons . They do have an inmate locator feature on their website and make it pretty easy to find someone in any of their facilities across the United States. They also have a page for each facility with directions, information about visiting, phone calls, and sending gifts and money.

West Virginia County Jails

West Virginia has nineteen state-run jails that are linked to correctional facilities. This consolidated approach makes facilities and inmate management easier. The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation is the agency in charge of all these facilities and inmate records. The list of West Virginia jails includes:

  • Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Denmar Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Eastern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Huttonsville Correctional Center and Jail/Huttonsville Work Camp.
  • Lakin Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Martinsburg Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Mount Olive Correctional Complex and Jail/Slayton Work Camp.
  • North Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Northern Regional Jail.
  • Ohio County Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Potomac Highlands Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Pruntytown Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Saint Marys Correctional Center and Jail.
  • Salem Correctional Center and Jail.
  • South Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Southern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Southwestern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Tygart Valley Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.
  • Western Regional Jail and Correctional Facility.

West Virginia's County and Local Jail Prison Population During 2011-2016 years

201120122013201420152016
Total1,6771,7351,1161,0291,1931,263
Male1,4211,434814782934989
Female256301302247259274

How to Search for County Jail Inmates

Finding someone in a West Virginia jail is quite easy. That is because the inmate records are kept consolidated with state prisons. The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation has two inmate locator features on their website. One is specifically for jails. Follow the instructions below to find an inmate in a West Virginia jail:

  1. Visit the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation website .
  2. Scroll down on the home page to a box called “Offender Searches.”
  3. Choose to locate an offender in jail or prison and click the appropriate link.
  4. The prison link will require you to enter either the offender ID or first and last names. You must also use a Captcha device.
  5. The results will show a table with offender ID, name, location, and a mugshot.
  6. The link for a jail lookup only requires the inmate’s name and a Captcha.
  7. The results will show the same information of offender ID, name, location, and a mugshot.
  8. You may click on each row to see additional information on the inmates.

West Virginia Juvenile Detention Centers

The state of West Virginia has ten juvenile detention centers to hold their youth offenders. Additionally, the state has another seventeen youth reporting centers which provide at-risk youth with education, therapy, mental health, substance abuse treatments, and other support services. All these facilities are run by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The list of juvenile detention facilities in the state of West Virginia include:

Confinement Facilities

  • Donald R. Kuhn Juvenile Center.
  • Gene Spadaro Juvenile Center.
  • J. M. Chick Buckbee Juvenile Center.
  • Kenneth Honey Rubenstein Juvenile Center.
  • Lorrie Yeager Juvenile Center.
  • Robert L. Shell Juvenile Center.
  • Ronald Mulholland Juvenile Center.
  • Sam Perdue Juvenile Center.
  • Tiger Morton Juvenile Center.
  • Vicki Douglas Juvenile Center.

Youth Reporting Facilities

  • Boone Logan County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Brooke Hancock County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Cabell County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Fayette County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Greenbrier County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Harrison County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Jefferson County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Kanawha County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Lincoln County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Marion County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Mason County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Mercer County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Putnam County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Raleigh County Youth Reporting Center.
  • STARS Youth Reporting Center.
  • Wetzel Tyler County Youth Reporting Center.
  • Wood County Youth Reporting Center.

How to Search for Juvenile Detention Center Inmates

Juvenile records are kept private until the offender turns 18 years old. Therefore, you won’t be able to search online for youth offenders. However, finding an inmate in a juvenile detention center is possible by contacting the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation directly or calling the facility to inquire about a specific individual.

Why are People Incarcerated in West Virginia?

There are about 13,000 people incarcerated in West Virginia. More than half of them (7,100) are in state prison, about 3,300 are in jail, another 1,800 are in federal prisons, 570 reside in juvenile detention, and 130 are involuntarily committed to mental institutions. The two most popular reasons that someone is in prison in West Virginia are violent crimes (like murder) and drug offenses. After that, sex crimes, burglary, and larceny are other top reasons.

West Virginia’s Incarceration Rate and Statistics

West Virginia’s incarceration rate for year-end 2016 under state prison or local jail jurisdiction per 100,000 population was 392, which is lower than an average incarceration rate by 13%. The number of West Virginia prisoners at the year-end of 2016 was 7,162, from which 12% were female prisoners, whereas the number of male prisoners was 6,286 in 2016.

2011201220132014201520162017
Total367378368372388392392
Male662681657662688695700
Female79848588939589

Where Do West Virginia Inmates Go When They are Released?

Although West Virginia has quite a few state prisons, none of them are specifically transitional or reentry facilities. They do have a couple of work camps to provide low-risk inmates with a chance to be of use to society while incarcerated. All other inmates will go back home to family and friends once they are released from prison.

How Does Parole Work in West Virginia?

The West Virginia parole board is the entity in charge of monitoring each inmate’s progress. When they feel that an inmate has served enough time and does not pose an additional threat to society, they may be inclined to set them free on parole. Parole is a supervisory program where the inmate must complete specific tasks and have regular check-ins with a parole officer. If they fail to meet any of the conditions of their parole, they will return to prison.

Parole Population

Type of Parole Entry: Number of Parolees:
State Parole Population: 3,550
Entries: 2,113
Exits: 1,686
Change in 2016: 13%

How Does Someone Get Probation in West Virginia?

Sometimes a West Virginia judge will order probation rather than prison for a low-risk offender. When this happens, the person is allowed to remain free as long as they follow all court-ordered rules. If they fail to meet regularly with their probation officer, they will go to prison.

Probation Statistics

Type of Parole Entry: Number of Parolees:
State Probation Population: 6,523
Entries: 0
Exits: 1,539
Change in 2016: -6%

Table of Contents

West Virginia Department of Corrections

Additional Resources

West Virginia Inmate Search